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Just wondering, is anyone going to buy it or already have it preordered? I have a Sega DC and am content with that but might try and see if a place like Target or Best Buy will sell them the day before it's scheduled release, and then put an ad in the paper selling it before X-Mas.

Like I said in previous posts, I used to be into video games quite a bit. I still like to play them once in a while, but I always ask myself this question when I do anything now: "Is what I'm doing now going to get me farther in life?"

I am curious to see how the PSX2 is going to turn out. I never had a PSX but I was always fascinated by their great third person shooters and their RPG's. If I was still into consoles (I still am but can't really afford it right now) then I would definately pre-order the PSX2 and Nintendo's next console.

The Playstation 2 is already successful in Japan and people have been paying up to $1500 dollars to have them illegally imported into the United States for the last 6 months. Of course I would rather wait. I will be purchasing a Playstation 2, if only for the fact that I will then have a second PSX console capable of playing all the games I already own, a new DVD player so movies can be watched on a second television and dolby surround sound for the second television. Plus I have seen some of the reviews for the new games and they beat anything on the market. Add to the fact that it can be expanded with industry standard PCMCIA cards, means that you can use an ethernet card to connect to the home network and use DSL or Cable to connect to the Internet instead of a 56K modem. The 500+ playstation games available and the over 40 PSX2 games currently available make this the ultimate console.

I have looked at the Dreamcast in the stores and read the reviews about it and nothing about it impressed me. Then I never really liked Sega Machines except for the Game Gear which I thought was cool. I don't think Nintendo's Cube will make it, too little too late, except for the fact that you'll be able to buy their franchises on it (Pokemon, Zelda, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong) if it supported DVD movies and more expansion capabilities it might be worthwhile. The X-Box looks promising if they could only release true specifications instead of smoke and mirrors, It would also be a better system if it ran on a True Windows CE platform with the capability of playing Windows games, then you have a serious console.

Originally posted by wsresource I always ask myself this question when I do anything now: "Is what I'm doing now going to get me farther in life?"

I agree a lot with that. I have nothing better than a broken SNES and a working Atari. Haven't used either of them since....1993. I do play computer games, mostly puzzles that can relieve stress. I also like to play Quake III to let out my anger now and then.

I lurve Playstation. Don't play on it too often, but when I do - well, right off the rest of the evening. I have been holding of buying a DVD player in anticipation of the PS2. BUT, read an article recently in a friends "heavy duty" gaming magazine which ran the PS2 and alledged X-box specs side by side. While I would way prefer to part with my ill-gotten cash to Sony, the MS product did seem to blow it away.

hmmmm....think I'll hang on a little longer with my trusty PSX and see how the war goes b4 picking sides.

Now that Microsoft is in the console arena, they will succeed in it. How do I know? Well look at it this way: Every time Microsoft enters a new field, they make either the best or the best-selling product. Windows, Office, IntelliMouse Optical, Sidewinder, Natural Keyboard, etc - all of these are either the best in their market or they are the best selling in their market. In the future, Microsoft hopes to make an ISP too - using Satellite technology. Let's hope they don't start making computers

Atari was one of the first home entertainment systems. That was eclipsed by (I think) Texas Instruments. TI was eclipsed by Ninteno. Then Sega took hold. Then SNES came out. Then Playstation was huge. Then N64. No console lasts on top for more than 5 years. It wouldn't surprise me to see this leapfrog effect help Microsoft come on top.

I'll have to disagree with Wayne: I think the Nintendo Gamecube will help Nintendo catch up to Sony...I expect their dominance to be erased. Call it a slightly educated hunch.

One of the reasons is that many developers have talked about how PS2 is very hard to develop games for...Gamecube, on the other hand, has been specifically made to lure in more developers. I've also seen previews of both systems, and the Gamecube looks a bit smoother as well.

As for the X-Box - I think it will do well enough to be one of the "big three" along with Playstation and Gamecube...don't know how well it will do beyond that.

I think the GameCube is going to do exactly the samething the N64 has done to the industry except have more of an umph....what I mean by that is they are going to wait to see how things turn out with their competitors and improve on the weaknesses on them. The N64 new the PSX couldn't handle first person shooters so they went ahead and took over that market in the consol world and the same goes with the "younger" oriented type of games. I think right when people think the PSX2 has everything they ever wanted, the GameCube is going to knock everyone off of their feet because it is going to be more advanced in a lot of areas.

But then again there is the X-Box. Let us look at all the companies.....Sony, Nintendo, Sega and Microsoft.....Who has the most money? Who has dominated the most markets for any given time? Who has been accused for having a monopoly? Hmm....microsoft....that is all I have to say.

I think Sega is going to be terminated from the situation once the X-Box and the GameCube have hit the market. Only time will tell which ones will survive though. I still give my vote with Nintendo for having the most "high" quality games instead of quantity.

Because of the launch of sega.net, thousands have been signing up to play online.

Also, has anyone here actually hung around the sega boards (BTW seg don't use a board like UBB or Vbulletin, it's really weird, i forget what its called...) they are just like PSX fans, Nintendo fans etc, and they are just as 'hardcore' as any of gamers out there.

I honestly don't think X-Box will make it, sure Microsoft monopolises everything it touches, but it failed once in the videogame department, who says it want again?

I don't know about the PSX not being able to handle First-Person shooters, I happen to have played several wonderful games included in this genre, including Doom which is faster and more fun than the PC version.

Most often than not, the console company itself does something stupid that spells the end. The end of Atari was their outrageous demands of Electronic Arts and requirement that they distribute exclusively for Atari. Electronic Arts not only refused but stopped developing for Atari, spelling the end of that console. Electronic Arts is still the #1 producer of games in the world.

Sega seriously damaged its reputation with its 32-bit system. Bad processors, missed shipments and a lot of other problems. I think part of this is responsible for Dreamcast's less than record making sells.

In my opinion, Nintendo's largest mistake is sticking with a cartridge system when every competitor moves to CD. There is no way you can match economies of scale when hardware and RAM is required to build spectacular games when your competitor only needs to buy more 20 cent CD blanks. When is the last time you got a free Demo cartridge on your favorite Nintendo Magazine? The N64 is not even a hit in Nintendo's eyes. Its sales have been about half of estimates. Until the Gamecube comes out Nintendo's major marketing force is Gameboy which is the size of a paperback and has the full capabilities of the original Nintendo, plus some. The inexpensive GameBoy and its inexpensive games (especially the 8 Pokemon games) are what is keeping Nintendo alive today. The fact that Nintendo is still shipping its Super Nintendo console and some warehoused games is a plus because it allows children that are less well off to still play quality games.

Even Playstation has made huge mistakes, such as ignoring the young child market. There aren't too many games for 4-8 year olds but this is starting to change with titles like "Barbie: Horse Racing", "Lego Racing", and others. The fact that you can buy hundreds of games brand new for under $20.00 certainly helps.

Before the Playstation was released, Sony was skeptical about entering the console market. They were afraid of losing to Nintendo and Sega. Now the Playstation is the #1 console despite being eclipsed in technology by the Dreamcast, which hasn't taken any sales from the Playstation but has bitten into Nintendo's share. The Playstation currently accounts for 40% of Sony's annual profit.

I think that the X-Box is going to be a force to be reckoned with but this will also be the first time that Microsoft takes a Consumer Electronics company head on. Microsoft is a small company compared to the Sony Electronics Group Ltd. Sony has more employees in their Movie Studios division than Microsoft has altogether. Sony's television, music and movie divisions make as much if not more than Microsoft does. In short Microsoft is taking a big risk to jump into this field as one small Mixup can lead to disaster.

Someone mentioned that Microsoft was going to start an ISP, actually they already have two, MSN (#2) and WebTV (#11 or #12), but even both of them combined won't come close to the Number 1 ISP of AOL.

Now what would help the console market and vastly improve selection for gamers would be a standard game system that can be integrated into various consoles. Imagine playing Zelda on your Playstation and Dark Cloud on you Gamebox. Then we will truly have a wide choice of platforms.

I really don't have time to play games, but I have N64, and would be interested in PS2, too. I'd also like to get into the PC gaming revolution with Diablo II, Sim City, Quake, etc. If I only had the time...

Originally posted by abahta Microsoft failed at videogames? Microsoft never fails!

Yeah they did sometime back in the 80's I think....

That may have been the case but today Microsoft has on of the strongest PC gaming departments today. Its titles include Flight Simulator, Age of Empires, Off-Road Racing, a state of the art Golf Game and others.

Originally posted by Matt Mickiewicz I love the Playstation 2. I got a chance to play it on a 2 meter high screen against Steve Outtrim, the founder of Sausage Software, while I was in Australia. That was a lot of fun...